Auto News 5

EXECUTIVE EDITOR BOB GRITZINGER: This 2013

Rolls-Royce is seeing slowing growth in China. The brand expects sales growth of 2 percent to 3 percent a year in the country this year, CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes said.

Opel unit returned to China's main auto show after a five-year absence with three new cars at the center of a long-promised push into the world's largest market.

Sebastian Vettel has described the pace of his Red Bull as ‘phenomenal' following a dominant victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Vettel started third, but by lap two had overhauled Nico Rosberg's pole-winning Mercedes, and sought to extend his advantage in the coming laps. The reigning world champion's pace was such that before his third and final pit-stop, he held an advantage of around half a minute from his nearest rival.

"A flawless, seamless race from start to finish," said a jubilant Vettel after the race. “The pace was phenomenal; the car was very quick and just seemed to get better and better towards the end.

"A big, big thank you to the team today,"

He also admitted that carefully managing the tires was an important part of claiming his 28th career victory, with tire-wear being something of a question mark surrounding the Red Bull in 2013.

“It was really a beautiful race where you could really push every single lap and we took good care of the tyres, so overall very happy."

Vettel also commented he needed to make a good start to make the most of the Red Bull's pace after qualifying third.

"It was crucial straight away after the start to get in to the lead if I could and then go from there," he conceded.

"Once the track was clear we could unfold the true pace of the car."

Swiss driver Fabio Leimer converted his pole position to victory in the first of two GP2 races held this weekend in Bahrain.

The Racing Engineering driver, who already took win in the opening round in Sepang, took his second season win ahead of Stefano Coletti, winner of race 2 in Malaysia.

Having started on soft tires, Leimer had to make an extra pit stop and earn his lead back before he could get on the podium. The Swiss driver managed just that, crossing the line some two seconds ahead of Coletti.

Alexander Rossi, standing in for Chinese driver Ma Qinghua in team Caterham, completes the podium.

Because he finished 8th, Tom Dillmann will start from pole for the second race. The Frenchman won last year in similar circumstances.


Race results - Race 1 (GP2)
1 - Fabio Leimer - Racing Engineering - 32 laps in 57'21"528
2 - Stefano Coletti - Rapax - 1"929
3 - Alexander Rossi - Caterham - 9"038
4 - Felipe Nasr - Carlin - 9"438
5 - Jolyon Palmer - Carlin - 15"037
6 - Sam Bird - Russian Time - 28"514
7 - Adrian Quaife Hobbs - MP - 33"067
8 - Tom Dillmann - Russian Time - 33"589
Etc.

Sam Bird won the second of two GP2 races, presented this weekend in Bahrain.

Brazilian Felipe Nasr picked up second place and Stefano Coletti, the new championship leader, third.

Tom Dillmann started on pole, but suffered a steering problem and was soon overtaken by his teammate Sam Bird, and then by Coletti and Nasr.

Bird's problems with the soft tire in the closing stages of the race allowed Coletti and Nasr to catch up. Bird pulled off the win despite pressure from the two runner-ups.

Dillmann ended up fourth.

Sam Bird, Bahrain (Photo: GP2)

Bahrain - Race 2:
1 - Sam Bird - Russian Time - 23 laps in 41'08"133
2 - Felipe Nasr - Carlin - 0"080
3 - Stefano Coletti - Rapax - 4"206
4 - Tom Dillmann - Russian Time - 10"328
5 - James Calado - ART - 19"713
6 - Jolyon Palmer - Carlin - 21"773
7 - Daniel Abt - ART - 24"108
8 - Adrian Quaife Hobbs - MP - 27"722
Etc.

Championship:
1.Coletti 64 points; 2.Leimer 54; 3.Nasr 48; 4.Bird 33; 5.Calado 24; 6.Palmer 22; 7.Rossi 15; 8.Dillmann, Richelmi 12; 10.Evans 11, etc.

From GMM

Pirelli's new 60 per cent scale wind tunnel tires could be to blame for some teams' troubles in 2013, according to a technical expert.

Top team McLaren faltered badly over the winter in switching from the winning 2012 car to the new and uncompetitive MP4-28.

And it's been a similar story at Williams and Sauber, who last year were among the standouts of the midfield and are now conspicuously scrambling for pace in 2013.

Referring to McLaren and Sauber, Swiss newspaper Blick's technical expert Mike Hammer writes: "Both teams now believe they know where the problem lies.

"It has to do with the new Pirelli tires.  They are more angular than in 2012, and then deform differently in the corners, which has a great influence on the aerodynamics.

"Millimetres play a role, but the 60 per cent tire for the wind tunnel models have led McLaren and Sauber astray," he added.

An unnamed McLaren engineer agreed: "They (the Pirelli tire models) are much worse than last year."

Faced with the latest criticism, Pirelli's Paul Hembery insisted: "We are talking about eleven teams with eleven different wind tunnels.

"It is not easy to build good 60 per cent tires," he added.

The theory would explain why teams who made significant changes over the winter have disproportionately suffered so far this season.

Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas (Ganassi BMW/Riley) extended their championship lead, Saturday, by winning the 2013 Grand Prix of Atltanta.

Friday's rain forced the cancellation of the qualifying session, which meant Pruett and Rojas could start first because they lead the championship. A flawless performance in the race ensured they stayed atop the standings in the title race.

Alex Popow and Ryan Dalziel (Startworks Ford/Riley) finished some 17 seconds adrift, followed by Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty (GAINSCO Corvette DP).

John Edwards and Robin Liddell (Steven Chevrolet Camaro) scored their first victory of the season in GT, 2.506 seconds ahead of Patrick Long and Patrick Lindsey (Park Place Porsche GT3).

Alessandro Balzan and Jeff Westphal (Scuderia Corse Ferrari 458) were relegated to third by a late passed pulled by Long on Balzan.

Joel Miller and Andrew Carbonell (SpeedSource Mazda 6) picked up the win in GX.



Race results - Grand Prix of Atlanta (Grand-Am)
1 - Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 120
2 - Dalziel-Popow (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 120
3 - Fogarty-Gurney (Corvette/Riley) - Stallings - 120
4 - Pizzonia-Yacaman (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 120
5 - Taylor-Westbrook (Corvette/Dallara) - SpiritOfDaytona - 120
6 - Angelelli-Taylor (Riley-BMW) - Taylor - 120
7 - Valiante-Pew (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 120
8 - Frisselle-Frisselle (Corvette/Coyote) - ActionEx - 120
9 - Lamy-Potolicchio-Sarrazin (Corvette/Coyote) - 8Star - 119
10 - Hartley-Legge-Mayer (Porsche 997) - Starworks - 119
11 - Nonnamaker-Nonnamaker-Nonnamaker (Riley-BMW) - Sahlen - 114
12 - Edwards-Liddell (Chevy Camaro) - Stevenson - 112
13 - Long-Lindsay (Porsche 997) - Park Place - 112
14 - Balzan-Westphal (Ferrari 458) - Corsa - 112
15 - Davis-Keen (Porsche 997) - Brumos - 112
16 - Lally-Potter (Porsche 997) - Magnus - 112
17 - Papis-Segal (Ferrari 458) - AIM - 112
18 - Johnson-Della Lana (BMW M3) - Turner - 111
19 - Assentato-Lazzaro (Ferrari 458) - AIM - 110
20 - Povoledo-Hurley (Porsche 997) - Muehlner - 109
21 - Hart-McCutchen (Porsche 997) - ParkPlace - 108
22 - Miller-Nunez (Mazda 6) - Speedsource - 103
23 - Donohue-Norman (Porsche Cayman) - BGB - 103
24 - Barbosa-Fittipaldi (Corvette/Coyote) - ActionEx - 100
25 - Long-Tremblay (Mazda 6) - Speedsource - 99
26 - Cameron-Nonnamaker (Riley-BMW) - Sahlen - 64
27 - Curran-Said (Corvette Z06) - Marsh - 18
28 - Marsal-Schaldach (BMW M3) - Turner - 3

Carlos Munoz (Andretti Autosport) set the fastest time during the qualifying session for the Indy Lights race that will take place in the streets of Long Beach on Sunday.

Before the clock stopped, many drivers took their turn at the top of the charts but in the end Munoz was the quickest of them all and will start from the front spot. 

Points leader Jack Hawksworth rebounded from a heavy crash in Friday practice to go second-quickest for Schmidt Peterson followed by Zach Veach, Peter Dempsey, Gabby Chaves and Juan Pablo Garcia.

Muscle Milk Racing's Lucas Luhr and Klaus Graf found a way past Rebellion Racing to win round 2 of the ALMS season, in Long Beach. Meanwhile in GT, BMW Team RLL won its earned its first victory with the new Z4 GTE.

Luhr and Graf started the race third, but thanks to a cunning strategy, moved ahead of Neel Jani and Nick Heifdfeld, who were co-driving a Lolo-Toyota coupe.

In GT, Bill Auberlen and Maxime Martin led a BMW 1-2, in their team's first victory this season, and first with the new car. Dominik Farnbach, which earned Viper its first pole the day before, managed to finish third in the No. 91 GTS-R he co-drove with Marc Goossens.

Extreme Speed Motorsports dominated the P2 class with the second 1-2 finish of the day. Team owner Scott Sharp and teammate Guy Cosmo lifted the winners' trophy.

Colin Braun and Jon Bennett (CORE) won in PC, and Sean Edwards and Spencer Pumpelly (NGT) in GTC.


Race results - Long Beach (ALMS)
1 - Graf/Luhr (HPD ARX-03c) - Pickett - 80 laps
2 - Heidfeld/Jani (Lola B12/60 Toyota) - Rebellion - 80
3 - Bennett/Braun (Oreca FLM09) - CORE - 79
4 - Guasch/Diaz (Oreca FLM09) - PR1 - 79
5 - Junqueira/Ende (Oreca FLM09) - Rocketsports - 79
6 - Sharp/Cosmo (HPD ARX-03b) - ExtremeSpeed - 79
7 - Auberlen/Martin (BMW Z4) - Rahal - 78
8 - Brown/Van Overbeek (HPD ARX-03b) - ExtremeSpeed - 78
9 - Mueller/Hand (BMW Z4) - Rahal - 78
10 - Goossens/Farnbacher (SRT Viper) - SRT - 78
11 - Gavin/Milner (Corvette ZR1) - Corvette - 78
12 - Magnussen/Garcia (Corvette ZR1) - Corvette - 78
13 - Miller/Holzer (Porsche 997) - Miller - 78
14 - Sweedler/Bell (Ferrari 458) - Alex Job - 77
15 - Bomarito/Wittmer (SRT Viper) - SRT - 77
16 - Beretta/Malucelli (Ferrari 458) - Risi - 77
17 - Drissi/Mitchell (Oreca FLM09) - BAR1 - 77
18 - Nunez/Shears (Oreca FLM09) - Preformance Tech - 76
19 - Henzler/Sellers (Porsche 997) - Falken - 76
20 - Cisneros-Edwards (Porsche 997 Cup) - NGT - 75
21 - Canache/Pumpelly (Porsche 997 Cup) - FlyingLizard - 75
22 - Wong/Von Moltke (Porsche 997 Cup) - FlyingLizard - 75
23 - MacNeil/Bleekemolen (Porsche 997 Cup) - Alex Job - 75
24 - Stanton/Curtis (Porsche 997 Cup) - TRG - 75
25 - Marcelli/Cumming (Oreca FLM09) - BAR1 - 75
26 - Dempsey/Foster (Porsche 997 Cup) - Demsey/DelPiero - 73
27 - Keating/Faulkner (Porsche 997 Cup) - TRG - 73
28 - Tucker/Briscoe (HPD ARX-03b) - Level 5 - 66
29 - Hedlund/Heylen (Porsche 997 Cup) - JDX - 62
30 - Tucker/Franchitti (HPD ARX-03b) - Level 5 - 57

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel has claimed his 28th Formula 1 victory in a thrilling Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of the two Lotuses of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean in a top-three result which mirrors the 2012 race.

Vettel stamped his authority on the race in the early stages when he took the lead of the race from pole-sitter Nico Rosberg on lap-three after the Red Bull swept around the Mercedes which was already beginning to suffer with tire wear.

Alonso, after starting third, was able to take advantage of the ailing Rosberg and by the fifth lap, the Chinese Grand Prix winner had moved up to second with a move around the Mercedes into Turn 1.

The Ferrari driver was anticipated to challenge for the victory but a DRS flap which had jammed open on lap eight forced him back into the pits at the end of the lap, and once again on lap nine, pushed him out of contention despite being able to rejoin the race.

However, the Spaniard fought back to finish eighth despite not having any DRS for the remainder of the race.

Teammate Felipe Massa experienced an equally torrid afternoon to end his day in fifteenth following two rear punctures and contact at the start of the race with Adrian Sutil's Force India.

The second Force India of Paul di Resta finished fourth ahead of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes, but will prove to be a disappointment for the Scot, given he looked set to score his first top-three finish in Formula 1. On lap 52 of 57, he was passed by Grosjean's Lotus after the Frenchman made the most of the quicker medium tyre after his final pit-stop.

Further down the top-10, The McLarens of Jenson Button and Sergio Perez provided much of the race's entertainment, with the silver and red cars racing each other hard and at one point, leading to Jenson Button calling for the McLaren team to “cool him [Perez] down” after the pair went wheel-to-wheel on lap 32.

The Mexican finished sixth ahead of Mark Webber after passing the Australian on the final lap, whilst Button finished 10th behind Rosberg.

At the back of the grid, Charles Pic continued his strong form in the revised Caterham after finishing in 17th. For the first time this season, a Caterham has lead home the two Marussias, which finished in 19th and 20th with teammate Giedo van der Garde in 21st.

Pic further impressed by finishing ahead of Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez, who endured yet another difficult race after losing his front wing in the early stages of the race.



Race results* - Bahrain Grand Prix
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 57 laps 1.36'00"498
2 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 9"111
3 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 19"507
4 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 21"727
5 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 35"230
6 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 35"998
7 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 37"244
8 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 37"574
9 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 41"126
10 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 46"631
11 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'06"450
12 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'12"933
13 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'16"719
14 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'21"511
15 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'26"364
16 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1 lap
17 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1 lap
18 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1 lap
19 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1 lap
20 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1 lap
21 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 2 laps

Fastest lap: 1'36"961 (Sebastian Vettel)

Retirement
Lap 16 - Jean-Eric Vergne

Drivers' championship
1.Vettel 77; 2.Raikkonen 67; 3.Hamilton 50; 4.Alonso 47; 5.Webber 32; 6.Massa 30; 7.Grosjean 26; 8.Di Resta 20; 9.Rosberg 14; 10.Button 13; 11.Perez 10; 12.Ricciardo, Sutil 6; 14.Hulkenberg 5; 15.Vergne 1.

Constructors' championship
1.Red Bull-Renault 109; 2.Lotus-Renault 93; 3.Ferrari 77; 4.Mercedes 64; 5.Force India-Mercedes 26; 6.McLaren-Mercedes 23; 7.Toro Rosso-Ferrari 7; 8.Sauber-Ferrari 5.

*Unofficial

Jenson Button has criticized McLaren teammate Sergio Perez's ‘aggressive' driving in the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Perez finished a McLaren career best sixth despite damaging part of his front wing after making contact with teammate Button around lap 30 on the exit of Turn 4.

Meanwhile, the 2009 world champion finished 10th to claim the final point after having made a fourth and final pitstop in the race's closing stages.

“I was very vocal on the radio, emotions were running high, but I would say exactly the same again,” said Button of Perez after the race.

“He was too aggressive, I would say. At 300 km/h, you don't expect your teammate to come alongside you and bang wheels with you. It was a bit of a surprise.”

Button also believes he will not be the only one to be critical of his young teammate's behavior after the race, despite praising the ‘great' racing in today's grand prix.

“The racing was great out there,” said Button. “The only person that wasn't was Checo [Perez] and I'm probably not the only one that feels like that.”

Perez, however, countered his teammate's criticisms and suggested Button had been equally aggressive after the Brit forced him wide on lap 32.

“I think I was as aggressive as he was with me,” he said.

Model: 2006 to 2013 Lexus IS

Vehicle Type: Sport Sedan

The Verdict: Though some issues have surfaced, most of them seem minor and low-volume in nature. The model you should most look at in the IS linep is likely an IS 350 with lower mileage that's been subjected to a going-over by a Lexus mechanic, or one bought as part of a certified pre-owned program.

Price: Look for pricing from about $15,000 to $20,000 on an earlier (2006) model with reasonable mileage and in decent condition. Newer (2012 or 2013) models with low mileage will range from about $37,000 to beyond $50,000 depending on equipment.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

What Owners Like: Tight handling and steering, plenty of power from the big V6, smooth performance from the small one, and pleasing, confident all-season traction with AWD were among the most commonly praised attributes of the last-generation Lexus IS. Interior quality is also highly rated, as is the up-level stereo system.

What Owners Dislike: Common gripes include limited headroom and rear-seat room, meaning the IS may not be ideal for larger drivers or families. Other complaints include the requirement for premium fuel, a dated interior design, and dated navigation system.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

History/Description: Available with one of two V6 engines, rear- or all-wheel drive and a host of premium features and packages, the last-generation Lexus IS was designed to give comparable sedan models from BMW and Mercedes-Benz a run for their money.

Look for a 2.5L V6 with just over 200 horsepower, and a 3.5L V6 with just over 300. The Lexus IS 250 houses the smaller engine, and the IS 350 the bigger one.

All Wheel Drive (AWD) was available with either powerplant, depending on the year in question. Non-AWD models with the smaller engine are available with a 6-speed stick, and all models with either AWD or the 3.5L powerplant came with automatics.

Feature content included available climate-controlled seats, navigation, a Mark Levinson stereo system, push-button start, Bluetooth, a sunroof, and xenon lights.

Photo: Matthieu Lambert

Common Issues: Some inconclusive reports of high oil consumption, particularly with the 3.5L engine, have surfaced online. Though the cause is vague, shoppers are advised to check the oil level and condition in the model they're driving. Remember to check the engine oil according to the instructions in the owner's manual.

A check-engine light possibly accompanied by poor performance or “stuttering” from the engine is likely the result of a bad engine control sensor. Be sure to diagnose any check-engine lights that may be illuminated.

Ensure both remote keyfobs work properly, and ensure the Lexus IS you're considering starts up quickly and strongly. Some reports have been made of a dead or dying battery affecting the push-button start system, or the IS's ability to stay running.

Because of a recurring issue on Lexus' 2.5L V6 relating to carbon buildup, many owners suggest opting for an IS 350, with the 3.5L engine. Other than a recall for valve-spring replacement on 2006 to 2008 models, this is said to be the more reliable engine. Your local Lexus dealer's service centre can look at the used IS you're considering to ensure it's up-to-date on any recall work.

Nico Hulkenberg believes Sauber must “bring some new parts to Barcelona” after a difficult Bahrain Grand Prix, should the Swiss team want to score points on a regular basis.

Despite running in the top-10 at one stage, the highly rated German finished 12th after a difficult race which saw a him struggle after a miscalculated pitstop and a car that was short on speed.

“We are lacking speed and eat up the rear tyres”, commented a dejected Hulkenberg after the race. “It was a difficult and frustrating weekend.”

He also believes the miscalculated pitstop which lead him to pit later due to anticipated problems on low fuel also lost him a position.

“We pitted a bit too late because we expected to have more problems on low fuel, which in the end we didn't have,” he continued. “That cost us at least one position.”

“This weekend clearly showed we need to bring some new parts to Barcelona in order to improve our speed and fight for points.”

Sauber's team principal, Monisha Kaltenborn echoed her driver's feelings and believes there was no reason for the team's below-par performance today and praised Hulkenberg's performance in difficult circumstances.

“We knew this track would be difficult for our car, but this cannot be an excuse. We can't be satisfied with this race,” she said.

“Nico drove a good race, so it is now our job to provide him with a quicker car.”

Sauber has scored just five points in 2013, all courtesy of Hulkenberg and lies eighth in the constructor's championship.

Chip Ganassi's Dario Franchitti earned his first pole of the 2013 IndyCar season for the upcoming round of the series, held in the streets of Long Beach.

Franchitti took advantage of his final flying lap to deliver a 1m07.2379s that was good enough to move over Ryan Hunter-Reay (Andretti Autosport) by 0.0555 seconds.

Hunter-Reay's time was still good enough to keep him in second place in front of Team Penske's Will Power and Takuma Sato (AJ Foyt Racing) who delivered another good performance.

Mike Conway (Rahal Letterman) ended-up in fifth while Helio Castroneves (Team Penske) was the last driver who managed to get in the Fast Six Shootout.


Qualifying results - Long Beach (IndyCar)
1.Dario Franchitti (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 1'07"2379
2.Ryan Hunter-Reay (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'07"2934
3.Will Power (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 1'07"3987
4.Takuma Sato (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Foyt - 1'07"4472
5.Mike Conway (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Rahal - 1'07"5994
6.Helio Castroneves (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 1'07"9698
7.James Hinchcliffe (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'07"4358
8.Tony Kanaan (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - KV - 1'07"5891
9.Charlie Kimball (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 1'07"6306
10.Ernesto Viso (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'07"7209
11.Graham Rahal (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Rahal - 1'07"7799
12.JR Hildebrand (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Panther - 1'07"7902
13.James Jakes (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Rahal - 1'07"9185
14.AJ Allmendinger (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Penske - 1'08"2001
15.Sebastien Bourdais (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Dragon - 1'07"9823
16.Josef Newgarden (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Fisher - 1'08"2579
17.Simon Pagenaud (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Schmidt - 1'07"9979
18.Oriol Servia (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Panther DRR - 1'08"2889
19.Tristan Vautier (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Schmidt - 1'08"1512
20.Simona de Silvestro (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - KV - 1'08"3173
21.Sebastian Saavedra (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Dragon - 1'08"4404
22.Alex Tagliani (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Herta - 1'08"6431
23.Ana Beatriz (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Coyne - 1'09"9133
24.Ed Carpenter (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Carpenter - 1'09"0318
25.Justin Wilson (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Coyne - no time
26.Marco Andretti (Dallara DW12-Chevy) - Andretti - 1'09"4506
27.Scott Dixon (Dallara DW12-Honda) - Ganassi - 1'09"6706

From GMM

Michael Andretti, a leading motor racing figure in the US, has played down reports F1 could add the iconic Long Beach race to its own annual calendar.

Reports this month said that with Indycar's contract expiring, Bernie Ecclestone and F1 sponsor agency chief Zak Brown had expressed interest in snapping up the California street race.

More recently a fixture of American open wheel racing, the Long Beach event was actually devised for formula one in the mid seventies, and the race ran until 1983.

Now, Ecclestone, Brown and race founder Chris Pook are reportedly in talks to bring F1 back to Long Beach.

Mike Conway, Long Beach (Photo: IndyCar)

"I'm an advocate of F1 buying the Long Beach GP," Brown told Motorsport magazine this month, "and I've been having those conversations."

However, Andretti - a former McLaren driver - doubts it will happen.

These days, as well as fielding a prominent Indycar team, Andretti's company promotes races in Milwaukee, Toronto and Baltimore, and he told the Indianapolis Star there is "no way" formula one is heading to Long Beach.

"Why would they sell it?" he wondered.

"It runs along every year, making enough money.  They have things in place; it works.  I don't think it's a headache for them at all."

Andretti also doubts F1 has the appetite to spend the money necessary to bring the street circuit up to the sport's higher standards.

"They'd have to spend $100 million to bring it up to where F1 would want it," he insisted.  "No one would do that."

Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas (Ganassi BMW/Riley) extended their championship lead, Saturday, by winning the 2013 Grand Prix of Atltanta.

Friday's rain forced the cancellation of the qualifying session, which meant Pruett and Rojas could start first because they lead the championship. A flawless performance in the race ensured they stayed atop the standings in the title race.

Alex Popow and Ryan Dalziel (Startworks Ford/Riley) finished some 17 seconds adrift, followed by Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty (GAINSCO Corvette DP).

John Edwards and Robin Liddell (Steven Chevrolet Camaro) scored their first victory of the season in GT, 2.506 seconds ahead of Patrick Long and Patrick Lindsey (Park Place Porsche GT3).

Alessandro Balzan and Jeff Westphal (Scuderia Corse Ferrari 458) were relegated to third by a late passed pulled by Long on Balzan.

Joel Miller and Andrew Carbonell (SpeedSource Mazda 6) picked up the win in GX.



Race results - Grand Prix of Atlanta (Grand-Am)
1 - Pruett-Rojas (Riley-BMW) - Ganassi - 120
2 - Dalziel-Popow (Riley-Ford) - Starworks - 120
3 - Fogarty-Gurney (Corvette/Riley) - Stallings - 120
4 - Pizzonia-Yacaman (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 120
5 - Taylor-Westbrook (Corvette/Dallara) - SpiritOfDaytona - 120
6 - Angelelli-Taylor (Riley-BMW) - Taylor - 120
7 - Valiante-Pew (Riley-Ford) - Shank - 120
8 - Frisselle-Frisselle (Corvette/Coyote) - ActionEx - 120
9 - Lamy-Potolicchio-Sarrazin (Corvette/Coyote) - 8Star - 119
10 - Hartley-Legge-Mayer (Porsche 997) - Starworks - 119
11 - Nonnamaker-Nonnamaker-Nonnamaker (Riley-BMW) - Sahlen - 114
12 - Edwards-Liddell (Chevy Camaro) - Stevenson - 112
13 - Long-Lindsay (Porsche 997) - Park Place - 112
14 - Balzan-Westphal (Ferrari 458) - Corsa - 112
15 - Davis-Keen (Porsche 997) - Brumos - 112
16 - Lally-Potter (Porsche 997) - Magnus - 112
17 - Papis-Segal (Ferrari 458) - AIM - 112
18 - Johnson-Della Lana (BMW M3) - Turner - 111
19 - Assentato-Lazzaro (Ferrari 458) - AIM - 110
20 - Povoledo-Hurley (Porsche 997) - Muehlner - 109
21 - Hart-McCutchen (Porsche 997) - ParkPlace - 108
22 - Miller-Nunez (Mazda 6) - Speedsource - 103
23 - Donohue-Norman (Porsche Cayman) - BGB - 103
24 - Barbosa-Fittipaldi (Corvette/Coyote) - ActionEx - 100
25 - Long-Tremblay (Mazda 6) - Speedsource - 99
26 - Cameron-Nonnamaker (Riley-BMW) - Sahlen - 64
27 - Curran-Said (Corvette Z06) - Marsh - 18
28 - Marsal-Schaldach (BMW M3) - Turner - 3

Toyota President Akio Toyoda used a waterfront gala in New York's trendy Chelsea district on Friday night to paint Lexus as an avant-garde, aspirational car -- and to launch the luxury brand's new marketing campaign.

General Motors plans to add four new plants in the next three years in China to bring its production capacity to 5 million vehicles a year, the head of GM China said today at the Shanghai auto show.

News 20 Apr, 2013

News editor Jack Rix has picked his 10 favourite cars from Shanghai